Q. What should I do if I see an earthworm
on the sidewalk or driveway?

A. Naturalist Jim Gilbert has this
friendly advice: "Next
time you see earthworms under your garage door or on your sidewalk after
a rain shower, why not pick them up and put them in a shady garden spot
so they can safely go back into the soil. This could be your way of thanking
the earthworm population for many jobs well done."Q. How are earthworms helpful?

A. Earthworms are nature's little
farmers in our fields and lawns. Earthworms "plow" and mix up the soil. Their tunneling loosens
the soil so water and nutrients can go downward. The nutrients in worm
castings enrich the soil. The slime they secrete contains nitrogen, an
important nutrient for plants. Some people don't like finding small "bumps" or
casts in their lawn caused by earthworm tunnelling. But it actually means
a healthy active lawn.